As the dust settles on the United Nations June Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, which concluded on 26 June, one question continues to shape global climate discourse: How can countries ensure that the next generation of climate commitments is not only more ambitious but also credible, actionable, and effective?

The question has acquired an increasing sense of urgency, following the 2025 deadline for the submission of the third round of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0). As of the February deadline, only 13 of the 195 Parties to the Paris Agreement had communicated their updated NDC 3.0. Across many countries, fatigue is setting in. Some are reluctant to push forward, questioning whether a new NDC should be prioritised at all. 

So, where did the momentum begin to wane, and how can it be revived? 

Challenges on the Ground    

For many developing countries, turning climate pledges into tangible results remains a major hurdle. The obstacles are not only numerous—they are deeply interconnected, spanning technical, financial, institutional, and socio-political dimensions.

Key challenges include:

• Limited access to climate finance: Many countries struggle to mobilise or access the international finance required to implement their NDCs, particularly for adaptation, which receives far less funding than mitigation.
• Weak domestic resource mobilisation: This stems from the limited engagement of key national stakeholders—including financial institutions, private sector actors, and line ministries—which results in the exclusion or underrepresentation of critical sectors such as transport, agriculture, and energy in climate financing and planning processes.
• Capacity and technical expertise gaps: Limited availability of skilled personnel, tools, and institutional knowledge hampers countries’ ability to effectively plan, implement, and monitor climate actions. Additionally, high poverty rates, inequality, and competing development priorities can deprioritise climate action, especially in contexts where immediate economic survival takes precedence.
• Data and information constraints: weak analysis of emissions projections and vulnerability, coupled with inadequate policy evaluation and decision-making, undermine both national planning and international reporting.
• Fragmented governance and weak institutional coordination: Coherence and coordination is made worse by the fact that climate action is not mainstreamed into the sectoral development strategies.
• Political and policy instability: Shifting political priorities or frequent changes in leadership can disrupt long-term planning and continuity in climate programmes.
• Limited access to technology and innovation: Many countries lack the technologies needed to drive low-carbon transitions or adapt to climate impacts, particularly in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.
• Vulnerability to climate impacts: High exposure to extreme weather, rising seas, and other climate risks diverts resources and attention toward disaster response and recovery, making long-term planning difficult and diverting resources that might have been used for adaptation.

These overlapping challenges can erode trust, slow implementation, and limit the effectiveness of climate policies. Addressing them requires not only stronger national systems, but also sustained international cooperation, predictable finance, and knowledge-sharing.

Against this backdrop, therefore, climate transparency offers a practical and strategic framework to help address many of these barriers.

Transparency as the Backbone of Climate Action

While transparency alone cannot solve deeply rooted barriers, it is essential for addressing them. By enabling countries to track finance flows, monitor policy implementation and effectiveness, coordinate across institutions, and demonstrate accountability, transparency strengthens the foundations for effective climate action. 

Transparency is no longer just a technical obligation; it is the bedrock of credibility, ambition, and delivery. With the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement now operational, countries have new tools to assess priorities, plan action, track progress, spot gaps, and adjust course over time.

Furthermore, a transparent climate action framework allows countries to:

• Plan policies and actions based on sound data and projections;
• Track progress on mitigation and adaptation efforts;
• Learn and improve through data-driven insights and evaluation;
• Establish stronger reporting mechanisms, develop global trust, and facilitate access to climate finance;
• Foster inclusive stakeholder engagement and whole–of–government coordination.

Transparency, therefore, enhances policy coherence, strengthens institutions, and lowers the cost of implementation, making it indispensable for results-driven, evidence-based climate action.

From Pledges to Progress

For NDC 3.0 to succeed, countries must move beyond aspirational targets. The next round of climate plans should be results-based, attractive for investors, and aligned with national development agendas. This requires, among others:

• Setting concrete actions aligned with emissions reduction and resilience goals;
• Establishing measurable outcomes to ensure accountability;
• Designing and implementing effective policies and measures that operationalise NDC goals, ensuring they are coherent, cost-effective, and capable of delivering results at scale;
• Building robust monitoring and tracking systems to support evaluation, adjustments, and reporting processes for policies and measures,  and demonstrating policy effectiveness through reliable data and analysis; 
• Linking climate finance to clearly defined outcomes and integrating the tracking into the budgetary processes;
• Ensuring institutional coherence across sectors and governance levels;
• Aligning with broader economic and social development priorities, leaving no one behind.

Transparency strengthens each of these elements–anchoring ambition in evidence and enhancing credibility with investors, partners and the public.

Transparency in Action: ICAT’s Role

As countries prepare for NDC 3.0, the need for robust transparency frameworks is greater than ever. In this regard, the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) is helping countries to use transparency for effective implementation. ICAT country projects span a broad range—from sector-specific monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems to policy impact assessments, NDC tracking, climate finance tracking, and monitoring of just transitions. 

Examples of impact:

• Cuba: With ICAT’s support and the use of the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Model (GACMO), Cuba conducted a comprehensive assessment of mitigation options in the energy and land-use sectors, leading to more realistic and achievable NDC targets. ICAT’s assistance also contributed to the development of a draft legal framework and a climate action tracking platform.
• Saint Kitts and Nevis: Developed a national framework to track NDC implementation, focusing on renewable energy and electric transport, enabling data-driven decisions and alignment with ETF.  
• Vietnam: Built a robust MRV system with ICAT’s support, strengthening emissions tracking and policy evaluation in the energy and agriculture sectors.
• Tajikistan: ICAT supported enhancements to the national GHG inventory and policy assessment frameworks, providing a stronger evidence base for climate planning and international reporting.
• Ghana: Building on the achievements of Phase 1, the ICAT Phase 2 project expanded the use of GACMO to support NDC revision, enhancing Ghana’s capacity to evaluate mitigation strategies effectively. The project also improved data collection and reporting processes across sectors, addressing institutional weaknesses and gaps identified in Phase 1, and enhancing the quality of its 4th BUR submitted in 2024.

These examples demonstrate how transparency frameworks, when properly implemented, can empower decision-makers and stakeholders with the data and tools needed to scale what works. By turning data into decisions and reporting into results, transparency ensures that climate commitments move from paper to progress.